EA COO Pleasants leaves for social game group Playdom

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Pleasants vacates COO role for Schappert to fill, MySpace group Playdom delighted

As John Schappert leaves Microsoft to become the new second-in-command at Electronic Arts, vacating EA to make room is John Pleasants, who himself has become CEO of the social gaming publisher Playdom.

Pleasants joined EA only a year ago, heading up EA’s casual and social gaming businesses – including its mobile division and Pogo. Pleasants was a driving force behind establishing service models at the mega-publisher.

“John’s operational expertise and strong industry relationships will be key to scaling the company quickly and forging the right partnerships. Moreover, John’s vision for the future of social gaming aligns strongly with my own. I look forward to working closely with him to deliver a bigger, bolder social gaming experience to our players.”

Pleasants said he was “thrilled to join Playdom.”

“Online gaming is the fastest-growing sector of the gaming industry, and social gaming, in particular, is transforming the way people play and experience games,” he said.

“With its expertise understanding player behavior, Playdom is uniquely well positioned to lead the industry. Playdom is also an angel- and self-funded growth company, making it a standout in any industry.”